‘Fair-market value’ of a TCU football player? $246,465

See the major changes coming to TCU’s football stadium in these newly-released renderings

TCU announced a new fundraising effort on Tuesday to make several major additions to the Amon G. Carter Stadium. Take a look at the renderings of the new seats, suites and other updated and upgraded places. Contingent on the speed of the fundraisi

By

Up Next

TCU announced a new fundraising effort on Tuesday to make several major additions to the Amon G. Carter Stadium. Take a look at the renderings of the new seats, suites and other updated and upgraded places. Contingent on the speed of the fundraisi

By

So how much could TCU football players earn if they were paid in a free-market system, like their coaches and administrators?

Does $246,465 sound about right?

That’s the “fair-market value” for each of the 85 scholarship players, using a formula developed by Ellen Staurowsky, a sport management professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia, whose work was featured in Business Insider.

Staurowsky used the NFL’s revenue-sharing system for her calculations. Under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, players receive a minimum of 47 percent of revenues.

The financial windfall and on-the-field success has helped push coach Gary Patterson’s pay to among the highest in the nation. In 2015, Patterson earned $5.1 million, according to the university’s most recent tax filing. Former football co-offensive coordinator Doug Meacham was the highest-paid assistant coach that season with a total compensation of $648,000. TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte earned $1.23 million.

According to Business Insider, the average football team takes in roughly $29.5 million, with the average “fair-market value” of a football player at $163,000. University of Texas players have the highest value, at $660,029, with Alabama second at $545,357.

The NCAA has a student-athlete advisory committee to discuss rules and potential legislation. Staurowsky, though, is concerned about the potential for changes.

“The NCAA, the Power 5 conferences, athletic directors, coaches, administrators, all of them have significant financial conflicts of interest in these entities,” she said. “And I don’t consider these athlete advisory committees to be genuine player representative groups. In the absence of the Power 5 and the NCAA negotiating in good faith with players, I think we’re a long way off from really establishing what that player value in the market could be.”